


Nightmare and Blue have a talk and Error is a Supreme Arsehole - By Fall Out Boy

by AzureNight, TheGreatWritingYin



Category: Undertale (Video Game), dreamswap - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Only Error and Blue switch, Sort of? - Freeform, okay so like
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-08-24 23:28:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16649908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AzureNight/pseuds/AzureNight, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGreatWritingYin/pseuds/TheGreatWritingYin
Summary: Y'all know how Dreamswap Blue is a dick and abuses Error? Welp I was sleep deprived one night and went "you know what would be cool? if blue was an innocent bab and error was evil and lied to nightmare about blue abusing him."Yin liked my idea, and thus this was born.





	Nightmare and Blue have a talk and Error is a Supreme Arsehole - By Fall Out Boy

It is quiet, in Outertale. The stars, as ever, glow brightly, casting more than enough light for Blue to make his way to the stargazing spot he found a few years ago, when Error had still been there in Outertale with him. It had been a nice spot, up until Error found it, and then they went there together and Blue couldn’t get away.

 

Sitting cross legged, a few metres away from the cliff’s edge, looks up. His not quite legal business was going well. He is, for the most part happy. That is, if he can ignore the gnawing loneliness he feels in his soul, buried under so many facades that even Dream with his empathic radar could never detect it.

 

But there’s not anything Blue can do about that, so he chooses to ignore it, and appreciate the lights in the abyss.

 

-

 

Error walks along the ground, looking up at the starry sky and only looking away to step over rocks and gravel in the dirt, barely even remembering why this place is so important. He whistles softly, kicking over a few of the rocks and letting himself relax. It’s Outertale, for pete’s sake - the stars welcome everyone to look and admire their holy view, he shouldn’t be tense.

 

So when Error happens to glance to the side and spy _Blue_ , sitting there and watching the glimmering space, a pang of alarm strikes through him, and he stumbles back, almost losing his footing for a moment before he regains himself, narrowing his eyesockets. He growls, wondering in the back of his mind how long his ~~victim~~   _abuser_ has been sitting in the spot.

 

"Why the _hell_ are you here?"

 

-

 

Farther away, Nightmare leans against a tree in Stardin, checking his wrist completely-real-and-not-drawn-on watch. Error had said he wanted to take a break and walk alone for a bit, so he had let him- but now he’s freakishly fucking bored. Then again, he supposes Error deserves the freedom after having his restricted for so long.

 

-

 

At the sound of _his_ voice Blue tenses up immediately, losing his relaxed demeanour in but a second. Ever so slightly, his breathing speeds up, as he gazes at his ~~abuser~~   _victim_.

 

“E-Error. I live in this AU, in case you forgot,” Blue says quickly, pulling up his facade, the one he’s based on Error. He aims to make his tone smooth, confident, somewhat shady. It comes out shakier than expected. “I should really be the one asking what you’re doing here, when you know it’s where I live.”

 

The words almost pain him as he says them, memories of being shouted at for playing along in the new game where they switched roles, though only in public, surfacing. It’s been a year, he should really be over it by now.

 

**-**

 

His ever-glitching state increases, and Error steps back, flipping Blue off and making a loud noise of disgust, like Blue's very existence is a crime. In his eyes, it could well be. "I should be asking that to _you_ , _asshole._ "

 

In his mind, something chimes at him - yes, Blue does live in this particular AU, he always has, how could Error have forgotten - but Blue was always a piece of worthless crap, so he shoves it all aside. "Don't get snarky. What the hell do you want with me _this time?"_

 

-

 

In order to fight the crushing, invading, absolutely evil forces of boredom, Nightmare settles for pacing back and forth, constantly glancing from his wrist to the direction that Error had gone. Doesn’t... Blue live here? He has no fucking clue, honestly.

 

-

 

Blue fights down the urge to flinch, and starts fidgeting behind his back - out of Error’s sight because Error gets annoyed when he starts fidgeting - and drops any facade he was putting up, still focused on keeping his breathing level.

 

“I- nothing. I was just stargazing here,” Blue says quietly, not daring to meet Error’s eyes. Behind his back, the fidgeting has evolved into scratching, bone raking against bone unpleasantly yet, thankfully, fairly quietly.

 

-

 

"Yeah, like I'm gonna fucking buy that- you're probably just acting shy or scared so you can lure me in and _use me again_ -" Error snarls, his own glitching drowning out any chance he has of even _trying_ to hear Blue's scratching of his bones. "-but you can't. So get it through your fucking head, _I'M NOT YOURS TO PLAY AROUND WITH!_ "

 

-

 

Okay, now Nightmare is walking at a brisk pace in Error's direction, frowning and muttering swears under his breath as he looks around for his friend. "Come on- come on, dumbass-"

When he hears the shouting, he freezes, only for a moment, jogging over to see his friend yelling at _Blue_ ** _._**

 

_What the hell did he just walk in on-_

 

**-**

 

Blue can’t stop himself from flinching this time. Increased volume is never a good thing when it comes to Error. Nor is any sign of anger, because when angry, Error lashes out physically. Sure, it’s nothing compared to the havoc he’s wreaked on Blue’s emotional and mental state, but the pain is still unbearable. And now, he’ll need to hide it if he gets any lasting marks in places like his face.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry, I should probably go back to my house I’ll leave you alone,” Blue says, wanting more than anything than to back away from Error, but his back is to the cliff and he doesn’t trust his ~~long time abuser~~ _victim_ not to get much deserved revenge and push him if given the opportunity.

 

He is the one at fault here, he needs to get away before Error gets angry at him and he is hurt physically. It is his fault. He deserves this fear and everything that is happening.

 

-

 

"SORRY?! YOU'RE FUCKING SORRY?!" Error's voice goes even higher, loud static starting to ring out from his namesake glitching all around him, making his form fizz in and out of existence. "YOU BROKE ME! YOU PUT ME DOWN! YOU _USED_ ME, AND YOU ARE PATHETIC FOR IT!"

 

He hisses, bringing a hand up to his eyesocket to let blue strings draw from his tearmarks, clenching them in his fist and glaring at Blue with hate in his eyelights. _"YOU DON'T EVEN DESERVE TO JUST LEAVE AGAIN, YOU KNOW THAT?! YOU DON'T DESERVE JACKSHIT FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO ME-"_

 

-

 

Nightmare's eyelights dim a little, and his breath hitches as Error gets more and more angry. "...whatthefu-"

 

-

 

Blue exhales sharply, trying desperately to keep fear-prompted tears from spilling. Panic is just around the corner god he cannot keep this up he can’t play this game he can’t-

 

“I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry,” he stutters, voice shaking, as badly as he is, bringing his hands to his mouth in an attempt to regulate his breathing. “Please I’m sorry-“

 

-

 

Error grabs Blue's scarf, harshly yanking him forward, eyelights blinking out as his eyesockets turned into just hazy, red 'eyes'. "Oh? Now you're sorry? What about when YOU pulled the shit that made this-" he brought up the fist with the strings "-happen?! What about when YOU made me break and almost never recover?! CAUSE YOU WEREN'T. FUCKING. SORRY. THEN!"

 

He glances over to Blue's hands, where he had been scratching the bone. "...you went all out, didn't you?" Error let out a low chuckle, empty of humour. "You really thought you could _make me come back by HURTING YOURSELF._ God, you're a fucking idiot, is what you are you _SOCIOPATH-_ "

 

- 

 

"...uh- Error-?"

 

_The fuck is he-_

 

Nightmare holds out an arm, summoning his staff and wheezing a little, just about to call out to his friend.

 

-

 

Blue looks over at the new voice, fear in his eyes when he identifies it as Nightmare, one of Error’s friends. Not good - _will they hurt him too_ , he doesn’t know- can’t know, until it happens. So many uncertainties, so many possible ways for this to go, and he can’t seem to see one where it works out for him. He keeps quiet, and keeps his gaze low, tears splashing against the ground.

 

His hands are placed in a defensive position in front of his face - because better his arm than his eye be broken - and it exposes the scratches along his arms that he usually covers up with his long sleeves, that he isn’t wearing today.

 

He’s having trouble breathing at all.

 

-

 

Error just sneers, raising a hand to grab Blue and make him look him in the eye. "What? Did you run out of **_manipulation tactics?_** " lost in his rage, Error grabs Blue's left arm and digs his fingers into it, probably leaving a few more scratches. "You deserve to cry, fucking piece of-"

 

-

 

Nightmare stares.

 

Nightmare blinks.

 

Nightmare runs over, not stopping to think and wonder why his best friend would be abusing his abuser, not stopping to wonder why Blue was finally showing emotion- _Error was hurting him._

 

Without so much as a 'hello', Nightmare tackles Error to the ground and punches him in the face.

 

-

 

Blue gasps, stumbling back a few steps and falling, watching the two from as far as he can be without being in danger of falling off into the abyss.

 

In shock, he tries to process what has just happened: he’d done something wrong to Error, Error had- no. No, he’d been stargazing in his home AU. And Error had shown up, and then it had all gone downhill and now he was numb - and going to have a panic attack later - and watching Error and Nightmare fight.

 

-

 

Nightmare grabs Error by the scarf, screaming in his face. "WHAT THE HELL, MAN?! WHAT WAS ALL THAT ABOUT- REVENGE?"

 

He loosens his grip a bit, throwing his hands up in the air. "HE DESERVES IT, BUT ARE YOU _TRYING_ TO BE LIKE DREAM OR SOMETHING? NOBODY DESERVES THAT!"

 

-

 

In response, Error can only stare over at Blue, eyelights fizzling back into existence, barely hearing Nightmare grilling him out. Quietly, he mumbles, just quiet enough so that Nightmare can't hear it.

 

_"He deserves everything that's ever happened to him."_

 

-

 

Blue looks down, unable to face Error. It’s his fault he should be playing along he needs to play along and put up the front again but he can’t make himself do it. And it was... nice, when Nightmare defended him. But he needs to keep playing and keep Error happy and Nightmare defending him doesn’t make Error happy and he’s messed up a lot this time.

 

 _He deserves everything that’s ever happened to him,_ Error mouths, and he recognises it easily. He’s lost count of the times he’s told himself he deserved this in the mirror.

 

-

 

Nightmare takes a deep breath, looking from Blue - arms covered in scratches, avoiding eye contact, letting himself cry - and then back to Error, pinned underneath him, glitching wildly and looking _exceptionally_ pissed off.

 

Slowly, Nightmare gets up, letting Error stand as well. "Go home. I can _deal with him-_ "

 

They share eye contact for a moment, and Error opens a portal and walks through, leaving Nightmare and Blue alone in Outertale. Nightmare exhales, rubbing his forehead and groaning quietly.

 

"Hey... you okay?"

 

-

 

The words ring in Blue’s head few times, and he was unsure whether he’d imagined them. “I...” he trails off, insecurities making him wonder if it might not be him Nightmare is talking to, but Nightmare’s gaze is fixed on him.

 

“I’m fine.”

 

It comes out automatically, a response that Error told him would work early on and proved to be effective, practically programmed into him by this point - no one cares about a stranger enough to argue whether they were truly alright or not.

 

-

 

He just snorts, crossing his arms and walking towards Blue, slowly and carefully, like he was approaching a hurt animal. "Your arms are covered in scratches. And I don't think- I don't think that's makeup."

 

His voice grows quieter, and he stops, making sure he's still a comfortable distance away from Blue. "Is… everything okay? Error- he beat you up… _pretty bad, didn't he?_ "

 

Nightmare winces. "I'm all fucking ears if the resident sociopath- you, obviously- wants to talk, but you don't have to if you don't want."

 

-

 

Blue looks at Nightmare, trying to figure out what it was he wants. Error isn't telling him to do this, clearly, as Nightmare and Error just had a fight, but there has to be some reason for Nightmare deciding to be nice to him. That's just how the world works.

 

But, as he inspects Nightmare’s face, he can see no hint of deception in it. Curious.

 

“If you want to talk we should probably head back to my house,” Blue says, scooting just a little further from Nightmare. “The people around here don’t need to listen to my pity party of a story.” Then he winces at what he’s just revealed. “I mean I’m the one who hurt Error but it’s still a pity party because I tell it from a very self-centred viewpoint,” he amends, not too fast, as to try and make it look natural, but in the end he didn’t think it was all that convincing.

 

-

 

In response, all he does is narrow his eyes, not saying anything for a few minutes. "... Will you try to kidnap me if I come? Because, dude, I just saved your ass from being attacked by my best friend, that's a dick move."

 

Then Nightmare sighs, glancing over Blue for a split second and storing the details in his head; scratches all over, contradicting stories, how Blue had clearly tried to analyse him-

 

"Look, I don't care how self-centered it is, Mr. Sociopath. If you need to talk, talk. If you need to talk somewhere else- then that's. Okay too. I guess. It's called common freaking decency."

 

-

 

Blue gives a disbelieving laugh. It sounds borderline hysterical to him, and tears started leaking out of his eyes again, and though he wipes them away furiously, they seem to never stop falling... “I won’t do anything. This time,” he adds, trying to pull up his usual, cocky, manipulative facade, and grins weakly, before sighing and dropping it.

 

“Maybe later,” he mutters, to himself or to Nightmare he doesn’t know. “It’s a short walk.”

 

-

 

"Then let's go." Nightmare winces again, frowning and holding a hand out to Blue, spreading it completely flat out so he can see if there is anything inside of the hand or not. "Come on, you don't have to stay here if it's making you even more uncomfy. I'm an asshole, not a monster."

 

His eyesockets narrow, and he grimaces for a second. "With what I know about you - you're the only monster around here."

 

-

 

“How nice of you,” Blue murmurs, getting up and ignoring Nightmare’s hand after staring at it for a half-second. Physical contact is all that's needed to throw him into a portal, or teleport away with him. Nightmare has been kind, yes, but he is still loyal primarily to Error, so who knew what he’ll do, really.

 

“Just through Stardin, on the outskirts, I’m renting a place. It’s cozy.” It’s an awkward attempt at small talk, but it gives him something to think about other than his neighbours’ concerned looks directed at him as they make their way through the town.

 

-

 

After Blue ignores his hand it, Nightmare just stands there, still holding out his hand and letting his eyesocket twitch for a good half-minute, before sighing, following Blue into town and pulling his hood up, making sure nobody can see his face, lest they call JR on him.

 

"So..." he mutters in a quiet voice, walking beside Blue and trying to make sure that the scarred skeleton could see him at almost all times. "That… uh-"

 

He coughs, a bit forcefully, still keeping his voice low. "You sure you're okay, man?"

 

-

 

Blue sighs. “I’m fully aware that I’m currently the opposite of okay. An unpleasant resurgence of memories will do that to you. I can imagine what with your situation with Dream you know the feeling.” As soon as the words pass his lips, he wishes he could take them back. The topic matter is too sensitive, and his tone is far too dismissive, borderline offensive.

 

“Sorry.” Suddenly, Blue’s voice is very very quiet. Nervous.

 

-

 

"Unpleas- what do you-"

 

At first, his voice is laced with concern, and then Blue moves onto Dream, and Nightmare cuts himself off. "... It's okay." how did Blue even know about how he felt about Dream? Oh wait- he was _Blue_.

 

"Dude- it's okay." Nightmare softly smiles, now keeping a steady pace with Blue as they reach the end of Stardin. "Your voice slipped. Mine does that. Everyone's does. You- don't have to be _scared_."

 

-

 

Blue wonders how to phrase his next answer. He can't say he was scared because Nightmare associated with Error, because that would give away that he and Error had... well, it would give the game away. He can’t say power, because he’d revealed that he knew about Dream and Nightmare’s relation, implying that he knew Dream who has more than Nightmare in terms of raw power.

 

“I don’t, do I,” he ends up saying, then shrugs. “We’re here.”

 

The door unlocks when Blue pushed a surge of magic into it, leading into a small entrance hall, where he kicks his shoes off and motions for Nightmare to do the same, before walking into the kitchen to prepare something to drink, assuming Nightmare will follow him.

 

-

 

Nightmare takes another mental note of Blue's pause before his answer, narrowing his eyes for a moment before flashing back to his 'comfort smile' in the blink of an eye. "If you say so, I guess-"

 

Walking into the house, Nightmare does the same as Blue, looking around for a few minutes and watching Blue go off to the kitchen.

 

Instead of following, Nightmare sits down on Blue's couch and hugs his knees to his chest, pondering the fact that he had just been welcomed into the home of Error's abuser, who has, so far, acted... extremely out of character for himself. Huh.

 

-

 

“Would you like anything to drink?” Blue asks, mostly out of politeness, and habit, to a lesser extent, because the likelihood of Nightmare accepting anything from him without checking what goes into it is abysmally low.

 

-

 

"No- I'm fine, uh- Blue." Nightmare fiddles with his hands, refusing to let his discomfort and worry show to _this skeleton_ , of all people. "So- you wanted to talk? Or are you just gonna go ahead with the turning me in and brainwashing and traumatising shit?"

 

-

 

Blue frowns, though he supposes Nightmare probably would assume that of him - it’s only logical. They both have about as much a reason to trust each other, and that is to say, there is no reason why there should be any relationship of trust present.

 

“You wanted to talk, I think,” he mutters, making himself some tea, setting the kettle to boil. Honestly, he can’t remember who it was who wanted to talk, but best deflect blame. “Ask away. I can’t promise entirely honest answers.”

 

Blue finds himself surprised at how blunt he’s being with Nightmare, though chalks it up to his aura. If Dream has one, it stands to reason that Nightmare would probably have one too, that would impact him in a negative way. To break rules.

 

-

 

He stares for a second, letting his eyelights draw once more to the scars on Blue's arms - this time, he didn't bother to hide the fact that he’s staring, glancing over each one and feeling a little more sick by the minute. "Okay then."

 

Nightmare raises his hands in the air, glancing up to look Blue in the eyes. "Kill me, I'm bad at emotions- but who the hell gave you… _those?_ "

 

Half-heartedly, Nightmare shrugs, leaning back on the couch, still ready to run away at any moment. "They, uh, don't exactly look like normal, run-of-the-mill… scratches."

 

-

 

Blue gave an uncertain laugh. “I don’t think you’d believe me,” he admitted, sipping at his tea. “Myself, some of them. The lighter ones. Then... well, just...” He trails off.

 

Not telling Nightmare about Error will be hopeless if he wants to at least tell part of the truth. But then again, if he does tell Nightmare about Error, who’s to say Nightmare will believe him? Nightmare knows Error’s side of the story, and they’re still playing. Blue is the one in the wrong here, as far as Nightmare is concerned.

 

“Error,” Blue blurts out, throwing all caution to the wind. “Error. His strings. Not nice. Pain.”

 

-

 

When Blue mentions himself, another puzzle piece clicks into place, and Nightmare stiffens a bit more, barely noticeable - unless one is incredibly observant.

 

Then Blue mentions Error, and Nightmare snorts, glaring at Blue.

 

"Dude. Yeah, he got a little freaking out of control back there- but he wouldn't do that. Don't be an ass and accuse people. Error just... got a little... pent up." He rolls his eyes. "Who actually did the rest? Seri-fricking-ously."

 

-

 

Blue shrugs helplessly. “Dream can usually tell when I’m lying, can you do that?” he asks. He doesn’t know why, but he wants Nightmare to believe him. He doesn’t want to be the only one who knows about Error anymore. Bringing up Dream is a gamble though, especially when Nightmare is annoyed at him for ‘lying’ about who inflicted the scratches, and from what he can tell, he’s not sure it’s paid off.

 

-

 

Nightmare tilts his head to the side, growling. "I don't know, can I?" he sneers, flipping Blue off. "Error can't be the one who did that, because he never hurt you in his lifetime. You're the one that did all this to him, and I'm not going to _ever_ forgive you anytime soon for it.”

 

-

 

“Then it’s all me. I don’t have anything else to tell you about them.” Blue can tell he’s made a mistake. He and Error are still playing, he shouldn’t be telling Nightmare all of this so bluntly, but he _wants_ Nightmare to know, even if it breaks every rule.

 

 _Anyone_ to know, no matter what the rules say.

 

“Anything else? It’s... best to move on from this. Neither of us is willing to compromise your beliefs.”

 

-

 

A pause.

 

"Fine. Next question, _innocent-blamer_. Why did Error blow up so badly at you? What the frick did you do to him, I swear to whatever the fuck god-"

 

Yet again, though, Nightmare stores that information in the back of his mind - Blue's accusation adds a quite unsettling look on the situation overall, but he was lying.

 

He _has_ to be lying about that. Because Error has to be telling the truth.

 

-

 

“I didn’t do anything-“ Blue starts, old panic rising up in him, from when they’d just started the game, before cutting himself off sharply. “I was... stargazing,” he offers lamely. “And Error came round and I provoked him. So he continued playing the game, and then you intervened before he injured me,” Blue says.

 

He says it all very slowly, careful not to phrase it like he's blaming Error for the abuse - because Nightmare didn’t react well to that last time and wouldn’t react well to it this time either if the pattern held - while at the same time making sure it's still firmly rooted in fact and not fiction.

 

-

 

The unsettling feeling grows a bit more, as it’s been growing the more this conversation progresses, but still, Nightmare pushes it as far away as possible, trying to focus on the skeleton in front of him. "What is the _'game'_? And why would he continue if _you_ made it, of all skeletons?"

 

He once again looks at the scratches, noting that they looked a little like... someone had dug strings into Blue's bones.

 

Isn't that a coincidence?

 

-

 

“I... don’t know. I don’t know why we’re still playing it but we’ve been playing it for an awfully long time.” Pausing, Blue finishes his tea, putting in on the counter and sitting in an armchair in front of Nightmare. Absent-mindedly, he runs his fingers over the patterns, if you could call them that, cut into his ulna and radius.

 

“The game is... difficult to describe.” Blue leaves it at that. Currently, it’s best he not incite Nightmare’s anger; Error’s reappearance has left him shaken, vulnerable, in other words, and he’s in no state to fight a quasi-immortal, both mentally and physically.

 

-

 

Nightmare inhales deeply, then exhales, holding up three fingers. "One, how long _exactly_." He puts down one finger. "Two, why exactly is it difficult to describe, I can handle some pretty fricking complex shit." Nightmare puts down another finger, holding the third one up.

 

"Also, three. How the hell do you not know why you're still PLAYING IT if you MADE IT?!" he throws his hands up in the air. "THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE-"

 

-

 

Blue flinches. It’s very slight, yes, unnoticeable if you aren’t focusing on him as he does it, but Nightmare had been staring straight at him as he shouted. It would have been clear as day to him.

 

“Four… four years. One year after I met him we started playing. It’s been about a year since he left, but he never really stopped so neither did I.” It is... interesting, to say the least, explaining how long it has gone on for. It would be even more _interesting_ explaining what it was if Nightmare pries more, which surely he will.

 

If Nightmare was willing to come home with him to find out, he's willing to cause discomfort to find the truth as well, most probably.

 

“It’s... nothing. I don’t achieve anything by telling you; you wouldn’t believe me. And I didn’t come up with it.”

 

-

 

"How do you play the 'game'?"

 

Now the unsettling feeling is starting to get a little hard to ignore. Everything - the 'game', Blue's scratches, how he supposedly ‘lies’, but also doesn’t - it’s enough to make Nightmare almost believe that Error could be the bad guy here. Enough to make him feel a tiny bit of guilt when Blue flinches, because he had to prod a little too far.

 

Almost.

 

"Also, whomst the fuck started it, if you didnt?!"

 

-

 

Honestly, what does Blue really have left to lose by telling Nightmare about the game?

 

“You... switch roles in the eyes of everyone else, but in private nothing changes.” That’s probably the most simple way to put it. “It’s all about appearances, too.”

 

Blue is now very clearly exhibiting signs of discomfort, and tracing the scratches and scars along his lower arms methodically, not looking up from them as he speaks.

 

“Error started it. I’m not sure why.”

-

 

"Switch roles..." The final piece of the puzzle clicks into place.

 

"And you've- you've been doing this? For- for four years now?! Please tell me I heard that wrong- please tell me-" Nightmare's face falls, and he looks like he's about to start crying.

 

Moving forward, Nightmare reaches over and grabs Blue's arm, pulling him into a tight hug.

 

"Fucking not-a-sociopath."

 

-

 

Blue tenses at the hug, especially at the contact with his arms, though attempts to relax. It isn’t entirely successful, but he pulls away from it soon anyhow, so he’s fairly sure Nightmare hasn’t caught on. Or perhaps he has, Nightmare is more observant than Blue has ever given him credit for.

 

-

 

Nightmare whines a little, lightly grabbing for Blue when he pulls away, though he quickly regains himself and scoots back. "Uh- sorry- I just-"

 

His voice goes quiet. "... Error _lied_ to me."

 

-

 

Blue smiles uncomfortably at the mention of that. “Yeah. You and Cross. Cross who isn’t here and hasn’t had a great revelation about myself and Error. Who will he trust more, between you and Error, keeping in mind that you’re now backing someone he’s been despising for just short of three years.”

 

The fidgeting starts again, aware that he probably should be more tactful with his wording. “Best not make him think I’ve brainwashed you, and ruin your friendship.”

 

-

 

Nightmare looks to the boiling tea, then to Blue, and then down to his arms and hands. "... I can… talk to him. Personally. About this. Uh- maybe even show him what-" His eyelights shrink.

 

" _... Oh God, what am I going to say to both of them when I get home- I sent Error- he might be telling Cross right now-_ "

 

-

 

“Breathe,” Blue reminds him, looking concerned. “In the end, it’s probably more important that you and Cross get away from Error in case he tries to pull shit with either of you. I’d recommend getting a place to stay that’s not here, because Error will be angry and he’ll probably go looking for me here as revenge. I’m going to get the hell out of dodge while I’m at it. Not sure where I’m going.”

 

-

 

"Come with us."

 

Nightmare squeaks, covering his mouth. "I- uh- I mean-" He clears his throat. "Error might be telling Cross all about it right now. And then he'll ask questions. And I can- say the answers- if you have to hide, hide with us, not alone."

 

He looks down, pulling gently at his cloak and shaking a little, eyelights tiny and glazed over with sadness. "Or... something. I- I dunno."

 

-

 

“You’ve known me for all of an afternoon and are offering me a place in your home because... I was abused and you feel bad for not figuring this out sooner?” Again, Blue’s ‘nothing is ever done out of goodwill alone’ mentality rears it’s head.

 

“You could get to know me better and hate me.”

 

-

 

"I've known you for all of an afternoon, and I'm offering you a home because my best friend turned out to be a lying, manipulative abuser who hurt you and left scars and probably fucked with your mental state for _whatever reason_ , and yeah!"

 

He swears loudly, looking like he wants to hit something. "I should have figured it out sooner! I should have noticed, and stopped him, but now you're hurt and half of those are you doing it to yourself and the other half are from _Error_ and NEITHER OF THAT IS OKAY."

 

"I do hate you." Saying this, he just buries his face in his hands, still shaking. "But I also don't turn away someone that's been through that much just because I hate em."

 

-

 

Blue considers his options. There’s always JR, of course. But that would shut down his business. Then he can try going on his own, but that seems... very lonely. Nightmare’s offer is getting more and more appealing the more he thinks about it.

 

He makes his decision.

 

“Sure. I’ll go with you.”

 

It’s not perfect. It’s not what he meant to do when he brought Nightmare back to his house, he has no clue what he was thinking when he did that, but it works, the arrangement works. It works out quite well.


End file.
